


Nazis (1934)

by asherall



Category: All the Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr
Genre: Gen, originally for school, red orchestra
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-17 23:34:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28982691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asherall/pseuds/asherall
Summary: Frau Elena reflects on the Nazi regime and talks to Jutta about it.(Originally for school.)
Kudos: 1
Collections: Genuary 2021





	Nazis (1934)

"Frau Elena! Heil Hitler!"

I looked up from the newspaper. That was Ernst Kholer. ". . . Heil Hitler," I replied. The newspaper suggested that we should celebrate Hitler today - and every day, and always. He became chancellor a year and a half ago.

My life began to end a year and a half ago.

So did the Depression - but that wretched life would be better than the current state things. The worthlessness of paper money was better than the state of fear that some of us live in.

When Hitler was given the role of Chancellor, I hoped that it would be a farce. That he would mess up enough for the Nazis to lose their majority in the Reichstag - that people would be able to look at the Nazi's goals and realize that it was not the long-term solution we needed. That they would solve our economic problems and  _ leave _ .

It took two months for them to take the Communists out of power. Their long-term solution was one that would work - still, the Nazis painted us a picture of fear. They blamed the Reichstag fire on the Communists. They passed the Enabling Act and took over the government, freedom of the press, and whatever other freedom of speech we might have had. It took four more months - a total of six months after the Nazis came into power - for the Nazis to be Germany's sole political party.

We started to hear about Dachau in hints and whispers. Some praised it. Those were the ones who believed the ideology - racial and ideological purity were of utmost importance, after all. I wasn't surprised when the camp expanded to include people who weren't political prisoners - Jews, Slavs, gypsies - people who could be taken without the public caring. People turned a blind eye to Dachau; people let it happen.

The rise of their Hitler Youth organization further strengthened the Nazi's power. It was a quick way to enforce their ideology onto the youth. Many of the boys and girls joined quickly enough. Some of them believed in the ideology before joining; most believed in their ideology soon after joining.

I have heard Hans Schilzer say: "They're right. The dirty Jews . . . they can't keep polluting the ranks of Germans."

I have heard Herribert Pomsel say: "Well, we do need more land. The Aryan race must spread - if we out-populate the Untermenschen, their pollution won't continue to happen."

I have heard Klaus Weber say: "They're finally taking away the Communists!"

I have heard Ingrid Becker say: "Of course we need to support the men! They're the ones saving us, after all."

Most of them just wanted to be a part of something. I couldn't fault them for that. Hitler Youth was a growing organization that gave them a purpose - they had to support the war effort and the growing Aryan race by doing something. Many of the orphans had led directionless lives; they felt like they were destined to work in the mines and that there was no way to avoid that. This gave them a way out.

They were off at Hitler Youth activities at almost any time of day; the lights were always off in their rooms. Occasionally I would see a light turn on - Jutta talking to Werner, most likely. There were days when the two of them seemed like the only sane children in this place; there were days when Jutta seemed like the only sane child in this orphanage.

The light flickered.

I turned another page in the newspaper - an article on Hitler's purging. The Night of the Long Knives is what they're calling it. He "successfully prevented a coup" and eliminated another threat to his reign. More propaganda. The newspaper reeks of it. Another page -  _ oh _ .

_ Heil Hitler. Meeting in seven - usual. Distribute. HS. _

. . . That was riskier than usual. Harro - or one of the others - must have decided that we had to do something more concrete than discussions about economics. I skimmed through the leaflets. There were three of them - each the same few paragraphs on Hitler's lies with a call for people to resist him.

This was  _ much _ riskier than usual. We had only been talking about economics and communism for years. Harro had been too uncertain about saying anything concrete, or anything in public. I thought that he would never come to his senses. Evidently, he did. He must have gotten these to some of the other members; I'll know for sure in a week. But how to distribute them . . .

Light footsteps. I closed the newspaper.

"Frau Elena?"

"Jutta. You should be in bed."

"It's . . ." she sighed. "Werner. I just talked to him . . . I'm . . . I'm so . . ."

Both of us cast a furtive glance around the room. There was nobody here to hear what we might say; they were all asleep. Theoretically.

"It's fine," I whispered. 

"I'm worried about him," Jutta whispered. "He doesn't sit and talk about why the Untermenschen should be taken care of, and he doesn't sing Hitler's praises, but he doesn't have a problem with any of this either! He heard about the bombings and  _ shrugged _ . He keeps telling me that I need to act like all of the other girls and join the Hitler Youth and he doesn't see that any of this is wrong!"

"You're right to stand by your opinions," I said. "But I don't think-"

"They're slaughtering people!"

" _ Shh _ . I don't think that you'll be able to change his mind." I sighed. "That doesn't mean to stop talking to him - by all means, be the voice in the back of his head that reminds him that these things are wrong. But you've seen how everyone is - they encounter the web of lies and either get tied in it or run for their life. There's little in between, and Werner is not on your side."

"They're slaughtering people, and our heads are so far up our own arses that we can't take a second to realize that Hitler's saying the wrong things. I don't understand everything - the Treaty of Versailles and the economic crisis are the main thing we covered in school, and even then I can't figure out what to think."

"Hitler offered a solution and we took it."

"Yeah, well, the communists aren't as red as they're painted. They had the better solution."

I smiled for a moment before I heard the door open and feet trample inside. "Don't say that. I haven't heard of them arresting children, but I don't want to lose any of you to that terrible place." 

"Huh?"

"Dacheau. Shh."

They went upstairs.

"It's where they're taking all of the political prisoners. They're working them to death - slaves," I said. "All of the Communists, Socialists, and the people who aren't loyal enough to the Nazi rhetoric."

Jutta was silent for a minute before she continued. "Maybe they'll destroy themselves," she said. "There'll be someone who is a Nazi that isn't loyal enough - but then maybe he'll realize he's the only pure Nazi and kill all of them!"

"Hush." The lights were off and their rooms were now silent, but I knew better than to think that they weren't listening. "They purged their own party a few days ago. The Night of the Long Knives is what they're calling it."

"Oh, right. I heard a little about that." She laughed. "Perhaps they'll kill themselves off!"

"While I appreciate your idealism, this is not a laughing matter. They just proved that they are willing to kill each other; they already proved that they are willing to arrest people over politics. Hitler decided that the party had to be 'purged' of their impurities. There is nothing that will stop them from purging the rest of Germany's 'impurities.' They might be arresting prisoners right now, but that doesn't stop them from murdering communists, Jewish people, or the rest of us."

She frowned. "I suppose you're right . . . Nobody knows what to think. Even Werner doesn't know what to say about this! But he . . . he sounded like he would rather praise them. But what if this is - is - is some sort of plan? He's just doing it to be safe . . ."

She sounded so small. I wanted to sit down and tell her that everything would be all right - that she was right and her brother was repeating Nazi rhetoric to be safe.

But I have seen the kids he hangs out with, and I have seen his dedication to radios.

The Nazis would be the death of him.

The light flickered.

Perhaps . . . a dash of hope . . .

"Don't say anything," I whispered. I rifled through the newspaper and took out one of the leaflets. "Read."

She read it; her eyes widened. " _ Oh _ ."

I heard voices again. We would have to continue this discussion later. "Jutta, it's long past your bedtime."

She sighed and handed the leaflet back. "Yes, Frau Elena."


End file.
